Creative Culture

One thing I love about working with different crews is the different language, the different stories, the different people…ultimately it’s a different culture.

Quacker, squeezer, gaffer, grip, baby pin, fat boy, fat man.

Kentatha, Cliff, Texas, Jimmy Jets and Rockets, Johnny-A, The Golden Yummy, fishing hole, suck it, you deleted Jesus?

These are all names of people places things, equipment, or sayings that I’ve heard over the years working with different crews, first in the music business, now in film and video production. They all mean something. Sometimes they mean something really special. But to the outside world they mean nothing or at best they seem comical, silly, or funny.

Sometimes if it wasn’t for these names especially of the people, life on the road would be mundane. Twelve to sixteen hour days would be unbearable. It’s that nickname, or little joke, that helps us get through the hard times, or adds a little bit of levity to a tough situation. It’s a different culture.

Of all the creative fields in which I’ve been involved, I think the film and video production industry is one of the most trusting fields I’ve worked in. It’s not uncommon to get a call from a producer from out of the area looking for crew members for a quick production they will be doing in the area. With not much more than a listing in a crewing directory and a web site with a demo reel, I’ve been hired by someone who has never met or worked with me. I’ve done the same thing when putting together a crew. Unions, guilds, associations, referrals, and social media certainly help also. But overall, I think the profession I’ve chosen is rich with some of the best people one could wish to meet. Not to say I haven’t been screwed over before, or a couple of times, three actually…uhh…wait…oh yeah…But the good people and an industry culture that promotes individuality, creativity, trust, and professionalism more than compensate for the actions of a few wack jobs.

Thank you all that I’ve worked with in 2014 for awakening lost dreams and allowing new possibilities to arise.

Happy 2015!